Installation, News, Pipelines, Victoria, Water

New 4.5km water main will last 100 years

Melbourne Water has completed a new 4.5km water main for Olinda and Mitcham reservoirs, a project that will endure for a century, ensuring a safe, reliable water supply for 365,000 customers.

To mark the completion of the Kilsyth to Croydon Water Main Renewal project, Member for the North-Eastern Metropolitan Region Sonja Terpstra MP joined Melbourne Water Head of Service Enablement One Water, Sean Hanrahan, and 20 toddlers at a local early learning centre to celebrate laying the final pipe by turning on the taps.

The toddlers present will reach 100 years of age before a further replacement of the mains will be needed.

“Updating our infrastructure is critical for maintaining the reliable service Melbournians have had for generations. Thank you to the community and our industry partners for their invaluable support as we completed this important project,” Hanrahan said.

The original water mains were built in 1936 with pipes of mild steel and lead joints and lined with concrete in the 1970s to guard against internal corrosion.

The new pipes are protected with a negative electrical charge to guard against stray electrical currents from trains and trams and prevent external damage.

The project to replace the underground mains had some twists and turns, with engineers adjusting the alignment of the mains to save more than 200 trees which would have otherwise required removal.

Melbourne Water and industry partners began the works in mid-2023 on the 4.5km section of water mains between Dunrossil Drive in Kilsyth and Yarraduct Place in Croydon as part of a larger project to update the water mains in the eastern suburbs.

Melbourne Water and the Victorian Government have invested $65 million in the project, which will reduce disruption in the system from water leaks and increase capacity throughout the network.

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